Humans have worked with tools for millennia. Humans have also used work surfaces for the same amount of time. Generally the tools and the work surfaces are co-located such as in a workshop or factory, but from time to time the need arises to accomplish work away from the location of the tools. When that occurs, both the tools and the work surface must be, at least to some extent, portable. The alternative is to have separate sets of tools and work surfaces at one or more remote work sites. This is highly inefficient.
Contemporarily many solutions exist separately. That is, there are numerous examples of work surfaces or work stations that can be collapsed, carried to a remote worksite and then assembled. Some of these devices are small, but some are also sized to handle construction level tasks. While some of these devices are simple “folding table” type devices, others have multiple functions embedded, for example a set of vise jaws to clamp a work item.
Also in existence are many examples of tool carriers and/or storage devices. The classic tool box is an example, but modernly there are a large number of devices that have wheels and handles capable of carrying a large number of tools. Some of these devices even have a small reinforced surface for standing or, conceivably, providing a small work surface. This class of devices includes the ubiquitous two wheeled dolly used by delivery services and movers.
As noted just above, both portable work surfaces and tool carriers exist, thus it would make sense to combine the devices into a single unit accomplishing both the need for a work surface and the need to store the tools required to accomplish the work. Also as noted, there are examples of small sized devices which can both transport tools and be used as a small work surface, but these devices are sized such that the work surface is not practical for even mid-sized tasks and can only carry small tools. By combining the functions of a bench scale work surface and a tool storage device capable of handling larger tools, a user could move about from site to site with only a single unit to manage.
Making the above combination portable is also a logical step in the evolution of this type of device. However, at this time, while some examples do exist, they exhibit numerous drawbacks which make them difficult to use and less than optimum for the designated tasks. The primary drawbacks are size and ease of use. Many examples of portable tool storage devices may be found that include a work surface, but unfortunately the surface is neither large enough nor sturdy enough to allow a user to accomplish even simple on-site tasks involving large or heavy materials. A further drawback is the weight of the loaded device. In general, two people are required to load/unload this type of device due to both size and weight.
As a direct result, contemporary examples of combination work surface/tool storage devices are difficult to use or too small to be practical. This is so because supposing that the device is large enough and strong enough to accomplish tasks involving large and/or heavy materials, it is difficult, if not impossible, for a single user to easily move, lift, transport or set up. Given that the device is supposed to be portable, it must necessarily collapse into a size that is able to fit in the bed of a truck or store in the corner of a garage or on-site tool shed.
What would be desirable is a portable apparatus that provides a stable, strong work surface capable of holding large material as well as providing secure storage for a significant number of tools. What would be additionally desirable is that this apparatus be capable of being collapsed, loaded into a work vehicle, transported, unloaded from the work vehicle, assembled and then moved to the specific work area by a single user.